Kathmandu was deserted yesterday as police and soldiers enforced a daytime curfew declared by the Nepalese government after a round-up of political activists aimed at heading off anti-king protests.
Some 120 people were detained for breaking the curfew, among them political activists, protesters and civilians, a police officer said.
Most of the civilians would be freed in the evening, he said without clarifying how many activists would remain locked up.
PHOTO: EPA
"Everything is normal, and there have not been any reports of incidents," said the officer, who asked to remain anonymous.
Armed police and soldiers were posted every few hundred meters on main roads, and were stopping and checking the few vehicles on the roads.
Kathmandu's picture-perfect Durbar Square, where seven opposition parties had planned to hold their rally early afternoon, was empty save for police, three holy cows and a troupe of monkeys.
Residents rushed to work before the 8am to 6pm curfew came into effect, but most businesses kept their shutters down as truckloads of police rumbled through the city and soldiers took up positions at key points.
The last time a daytime curfew was imposed in the capital was when King Gyanendra sacked the government and assumed full executive powers on Feb. 1 last year.
On Thursday, security forces detained 107 activists and political leaders and cut mobile telephone services in a crackdown condemned by the US, India, the EU and Japan.
More detentions
Further detentions were reported early yesterday.
"I was placed under house arrest this morning," Bharat Mohan Adhikari, a leader from the Nepal Communist Party (United Marxist Leninist) told AFP by telephone.
"Eleven armed police are stationed in my residence, and I understand that other leaders have also been placed under house arrest," Adhikari said.
Madhav Kumar Nepal, NCP (UML) general secretary, said he, too, was under house arrest.
"Armed police surrounded my house at 4am. They came inside at 6am and at 7:30am a police superintendent came and handed over a warrant," he said.
Nepal's seven main political parties, sidelined by the king's powergrab, had called yesterday's protest to demand the restoration of democracy and to call for a boycott of municipal polls on Feb. 8.
Evening protest?
With the daytime curfew in place and their leaders in detention, political parties were yesterday planning torch-lit processions and protests after 6pm.
"Spontaneous protest programs will be organized inside Kathmandu and [neighboring] Lalitpur once the curfew ends," said Bhanu Bhakta Dhakal, a member of NCP (UML).
For people on the streets, the curfew was an irritant.
"In the name of giving security, the government is creating a difficult time for the general public. I hope this won't last long. I hope this won't last long," said Sadhana Khadgi, a roadside vegetable seller.
Rights groups feared further human rights abuses.
"The government of Nepal should be aware the international community is gravely concerned with developments this week and should take immediate steps to remedy the serious human rights violations that have taken place," Purna Sen of Amnesty International said.
OPTIMISTIC: A Philippine Air Force spokeswoman said the military believed the crew were safe and were hopeful that they and the jet would be recovered A Philippine Air Force FA-50 jet and its two-person crew are missing after flying in support of ground forces fighting communist rebels in the southern Mindanao region, a military official said yesterday. Philippine Air Force spokeswoman Colonel Consuelo Castillo said the jet was flying “over land” on the way to its target area when it went missing during a “tactical night operation in support of our ground troops.” While she declined to provide mission specifics, Philippine Army spokesman Colonel Louie Dema-ala confirmed that the missing FA-50 was part of a squadron sent “to provide air support” to troops fighting communist rebels in
PROBE: Last week, Romanian prosecutors launched a criminal investigation against presidential candidate Calin Georgescu accusing him of supporting fascist groups Tens of thousands of protesters gathered in Romania’s capital on Saturday in the latest anti-government demonstration by far-right groups after a top court canceled a presidential election in the EU country last year. Protesters converged in front of the government building in Bucharest, waving Romania’s tricolor flags and chanting slogans such as “down with the government” and “thieves.” Many expressed support for Calin Georgescu, who emerged as the frontrunner in December’s canceled election, and demanded they be resumed from the second round. George Simion, the leader of the far-right Alliance for the Unity of Romanians (AUR), which organized the protest,
ECONOMIC DISTORTION? The US commerce secretary’s remarks echoed Elon Musk’s arguments that spending by the government does not create value for the economy US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick on Sunday said that government spending could be separated from GDP reports, in response to questions about whether the spending cuts pushed by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency could possibly cause an economic downturn. “You know that governments historically have messed with GDP,” Lutnick said on Fox News Channel’s Sunday Morning Futures. “They count government spending as part of GDP. So I’m going to separate those two and make it transparent.” Doing so could potentially complicate or distort a fundamental measure of the US economy’s health. Government spending is traditionally included in the GDP because
Hundreds of people in rainbow colors gathered on Saturday in South Africa’s tourist magnet Cape Town to honor the world’s first openly gay imam, who was killed last month. Muhsin Hendricks, who ran a mosque for marginalized Muslims, was shot dead last month near the southern city of Gqeberha. “I was heartbroken. I think it’s sad especially how far we’ve come, considering how progressive South Africa has been,” attendee Keisha Jensen said. Led by motorcycle riders, the mostly young crowd walked through the streets of the coastal city, some waving placards emblazoned with Hendricks’s image and reading: “#JUSTICEFORMUHSIN.” No arrest
RSS